Mercy is when we don’t get a punishment that we do deserve and Grace is when we get a reward we don’t deserve. In Christ we get both. We don’t get punished for our sins and instead we do get the reward we don’t deserve that Christ earned on our behalf. 

Grace and mercy are topics which Christians and the Bible discuss extensively. They are often used interchangeably, but do they differ? Jesus died on the Cross in order to show us his mercy, saving us from the death we might deserve for our sins. Yet, God forgave us despite our sin and showed mercy. Grace, on the other hand, is God's constant favor toward us.

Mercy And Grace Are Two Sides Of A Coin

According to Christianity.com, grace and mercy are two of the greatest attributes of love. Love for God and love for people is at the heart of the Bible. God has manifested His all-powerful, gracious, and merciful nature through two grand works: creation and redemption.

His creation revealed His incredible strength and power and His work of redemption revealed His marvelous love, manifested in mercy and grace. It is the love of God which is essential both to the existence of life and to the salvation of mankind.

Mercy is usually referred to as eleos in Greek (pity, compassion) while charis (favor) is for grace. Withholding deserved punishment is called mercy, whereas grace is the act of bestowing undeserved favor. While we deserve punishment from God, He does not punish us with Hell; rather, He shows us grace by giving us what we do not deserve, which is heaven.

The coin of love has two sides, mercy and grace. Mercy is a compassionate love for the weak, and grace is a generous love for the unworthy, according to the author. We are all weak and unworthy and need God's mercy and grace. Grace leads us to reconciliation and mercy to forgiveness.

The Bible contains numerous examples of God's Grace and Mercy. Read more about them here.

Responses to Grace and Mercy

In an article in Our Father’s House Soup Kitchen, both concepts were defined in a nutshell. Grace is a gift we don’t deserve, while mercy is not getting the punishment we deserve. The author provided the following logic.

Imagine that someone tried to rob your house. It turns out the robber was simply in a desperate situation and did not mean to harm anyone. Your mercy came in the form of pardoning the thief and letting the matter go instead of calling the police. After that, you still gave him food and money to help him through the difficult time - that's grace.

Grace and mercy are essential in a world in which mistakes are harshly punished and goodwill is reserved for the deserving. The ultimate expression of God's love for us is grace and mercy. What should we do with such unmerited goodness? According to the Bible, we should: Recognize, Accept and Grow. Learn how by checking this blog. 

Kindness and Compassion

Another definition can be found in Got Questions. Often, mercy is discussed in the context of God not punishing us as our sins deserve; it is kindness and compassion. On the other hand, the idea of grace also includes acts of kindness and compassion as well as a grant of a favor or gift. It might be helpful to consider mercy as a component of grace. Mercy is often described as a deliverance from judgement in Scripture (e.g., Deuteronomy 4:30–31; 1 Timothy 1:13), and grace always extends blessings to the unworthy.

We all sin according to the Bible (Ecclesiastes 7:20; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8). The consequence of that sin is death (Romans 6:23) and eternal judgement in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:12–15). Our daily lives are an act of mercy from God given what we deserve. We would all be condemned for eternity if God gave us all what we deserve. In Psalm 51:1–2, David pleads with God, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.” To ask for mercy is to ask for God to show kindness and withhold the judgement we deserve.

Common and Saving Grace

There are two types of grace that are often distinguished in Theology:

Common grace refers to God's grace extended to everyone regardless of how they respond to Him. There are many good things that happen to a person whether he or she believes in God or not, including the beauty of creation, the provision of food and other necessities, and everything that happens to them.

Saving grace refers to God's grace that leads to salvation. According to Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."

Jesus Christ possesses both perfect mercy and perfect grace. By His sacrifice on the cross, He provided an escape or way of forgiveness for those who have sinned (John 3:16; Romans 5:8). God has extended grace to us through the Son, the Scriptures, and his Spirit among us, both providing salvation and proclaiming salvation. Read more in this article. 

Grace Vs. Mercy Based On Example

Showing kindness and compassion to one who offends is mercy.  The presence of God in our souls is grace, and it lifts us up. Grace is complete when you reach heaven, whereas mercy ends at the moment of death, when you face God's judgement and justice. His mercy is only intended to bring you into His sanctifying grace in this life.

In this article, mercy is shown in the following example: After the Israelites turned their back on God and worshipped idols, He showed compassion and forgiveness to them (mercy). In the end, he did not destroy them, but provided for them and cared for them.

Grace isn't something you earn or can achieve. The free gift of salvation is available to you if you acknowledge that you are a sinner, believe in Christ and truly repent of your sins. 

Grace is God's favor and blessing shown to sinners. Grace is shown by God providing a way -Jesus, for you to be freed from the judgement and punishment that is to come by standing innocent before Him. Here’s the complete article from ORBC Family.